Another 241 return booking...
May 6, 2016, 3:14 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 628
Another 241 return booking...
I thought it may be worth sharing my 241 return booking experience.
Background - I had 355k avios, 1 Amex 241 and a family of 2 adults, 2 kids. We thought a trip to Thailand next Easter 2017 would be good, our minimum spec was 2 seats in CW and 2 in WTP (paid) with UUA if possible. Obviously BKK is notoriously difficult, do given our avios balance KUL seemed a good alternative.
I booked the outbound 241 for 1 adult 1 child easily 355 days before (why did I get up early???) The fact there was no 'there are x number of seats left at this price' raise my hopes of a UUA outbound for the other 2 in our party. (I am taking the kids out of school for a couple of days before)
So now the planning for the return. The WTP prices from NCL are fairly reasonable at about £1100 return, unless returning Thursday to Saturday when there was a £170 increase. My ideal was to return on the Saturday do the kids could be back at school on Monday, but the £340 saving for a Sunday return and an extra day holiday leave for the kids after Easter was more attractive (and an extra day holiday!)
So we decided to try to get flights back on the Sunday, UUA if possible. Then the BA sale started with great CW fares back from BKK, so we could potentially pay cash and not have to use the avios. My plan was in place, phone Japan at 1am when the flights were released and try for 2 CW flights back from BKK, 4 in CW (2UUA) from KL or 2 in F from Kl (leaving 2 to slum it in WTP and UUA THE WTP leg. All I needed to do was call the Japan call centre.
This is where it fell apart, the BA call centre is closed on bank holidays. 4th May is national greenery day in Japan (who knew?) so I couldn't get through. I watched the BKK flights disappear, but there were 4 CW seats from Kul so I had a nervous hour until the Hong Kong call centre opened. At 2 am UK time I called HK and had to wait for 30 mins to speak to an agent. I then managed to grab the CW seats although could not book back to NCL as the LHR to NCL segments weren't released. I was prepared to buy separate seats of necessary.
The following day I decided to chance trying the within 24 hour change. I didn't want to wait for HK to open (5 May is also a public holiday in Japan) so I called the US call centre at 12.15am and ended up speaking to a lovely agent 5 miles down the road in Newcastle. She called me back to save the call charges, and when we established the flights weren't available until 1am she said she'd call me back as soon as she could after 1am and arrange for both of the bookings to include the NCL sector to be included with no change fees.
Overall service was great, and I have fed this back to BA. My avios have all gone, but we have CW seats for all of us over Easter, so that's fab. I thought it would be worth sharing as I've had some great service from BA and also learnt about public holidays in Japan!
Background - I had 355k avios, 1 Amex 241 and a family of 2 adults, 2 kids. We thought a trip to Thailand next Easter 2017 would be good, our minimum spec was 2 seats in CW and 2 in WTP (paid) with UUA if possible. Obviously BKK is notoriously difficult, do given our avios balance KUL seemed a good alternative.
I booked the outbound 241 for 1 adult 1 child easily 355 days before (why did I get up early???) The fact there was no 'there are x number of seats left at this price' raise my hopes of a UUA outbound for the other 2 in our party. (I am taking the kids out of school for a couple of days before)
So now the planning for the return. The WTP prices from NCL are fairly reasonable at about £1100 return, unless returning Thursday to Saturday when there was a £170 increase. My ideal was to return on the Saturday do the kids could be back at school on Monday, but the £340 saving for a Sunday return and an extra day holiday leave for the kids after Easter was more attractive (and an extra day holiday!)
So we decided to try to get flights back on the Sunday, UUA if possible. Then the BA sale started with great CW fares back from BKK, so we could potentially pay cash and not have to use the avios. My plan was in place, phone Japan at 1am when the flights were released and try for 2 CW flights back from BKK, 4 in CW (2UUA) from KL or 2 in F from Kl (leaving 2 to slum it in WTP and UUA THE WTP leg. All I needed to do was call the Japan call centre.
This is where it fell apart, the BA call centre is closed on bank holidays. 4th May is national greenery day in Japan (who knew?) so I couldn't get through. I watched the BKK flights disappear, but there were 4 CW seats from Kul so I had a nervous hour until the Hong Kong call centre opened. At 2 am UK time I called HK and had to wait for 30 mins to speak to an agent. I then managed to grab the CW seats although could not book back to NCL as the LHR to NCL segments weren't released. I was prepared to buy separate seats of necessary.
The following day I decided to chance trying the within 24 hour change. I didn't want to wait for HK to open (5 May is also a public holiday in Japan) so I called the US call centre at 12.15am and ended up speaking to a lovely agent 5 miles down the road in Newcastle. She called me back to save the call charges, and when we established the flights weren't available until 1am she said she'd call me back as soon as she could after 1am and arrange for both of the bookings to include the NCL sector to be included with no change fees.
Overall service was great, and I have fed this back to BA. My avios have all gone, but we have CW seats for all of us over Easter, so that's fab. I thought it would be worth sharing as I've had some great service from BA and also learnt about public holidays in Japan!
May 6, 2016, 3:59 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: ±38,000 feet
Programs: LH HON, BA GGL, AF Plat, EK Plat
Posts: 6,428
Great to hear about your positive outcome!
I notice you mention call charges - you can usually avoid these by calling free numbers from skype (most countries BA 0800 call centres are free that way).
I notice you mention call charges - you can usually avoid these by calling free numbers from skype (most countries BA 0800 call centres are free that way).